marlu, I'm going to be blunt: it sounds to me like you are looking for reasons not to succeed. Walking 7 miles a day (35 miles a week if you work 5 days) is a decent amount of exercise, but not at a level where you're going to be unable to do the work if you cut back your calories a little. I'm saying that because I used to jog that much per week plus weight train plus bike to work for quite a while. 1600-1700 calories for your size/weight/activity level is probably going to be a comfortable level for you. However, if that really isn't working for you - remember that you can always increase your calorie level. As long as it's below what you were eating to begin with, you will lose weight. It will just be slower. Since you're averaging out around 2100 calories right now, drop that to 2000 for a few weeks and see how it goes. Then down to 1900 and see if that's comfortable. Take it slow if you're concerned! This isn't a race. If you really need the calorie level you say, then you'll lose weight at 2000! Give it a try and see how it works for you.

I agree with Kilketay! Just give something a try, as I said earlier!

Jay

There are always ways to tweak your food. I love hard boiled eggs, I just pitch the odd yolk. It's a small thing but doable ... and doesn't make that much difference to the satiety value of your food.

Marlu: I understand, my job can be physically taxing, too, and I am outdoors often. Being outdoors alone in the Florida heat with no shade can speed up my metabolism and make me sweat out a couple pounds of water.

But as the others said, you should *try* 1,630 calories a day and see what happens.

Also: Yes, if you're very obese, the weight will come off FASTER, but you'll have so much more to lose! Not just that, but once super obese people actually *DO* lose the weight, they often have loose skin (that some choose to surgically remove, but that sounds expensive - I do ok financially, but I know I would never be able to afford it) and stretch marks. We're lucky that we only have a few pounds that we need to lose. It's a much longer, more difficult journey for those who have 100+ pounds to go.

I just knew some people would think I am making excuses. I'm not.

But I still think 1630 calories is far too low for the amount of moving around I do.

I'm going to try 1800 calories and see how that goes.

I have an insulated lunch box. I cook ahead, pop the frozen items in the box, and they are usually defrosted by lunch time. I mostly eat stuff that doesn't have to be heated.

It sounds to me like you need some fun in your life! Long hours, hard work makes it difficult to take time for yourself, I know. When I was in that situation, I had a special tea that I drank in the evening, I used some special shower gel in the mornings, a nice fragrance for after shower, I bought good coffee...things that don't take any more time, but give you just a little lift when you need it. When I was drinking my tea or using my shower gel, I tried to be aware of it and enjoy it.

Marlu -

I've read some of your other threads and it sounds a little bit like you have a "the world is against me mentality." This is a great place to get support, but to get support, you also have to give support.

You might just want to think about how your post might sound to someone who has 100 pounds to lose. Do you think they will read it and say "gosh, I really am lucky to have so much weight to lose"? We're all in this together and we all have challenges and we all need support.

Try some changes and see what happens. I don't think anyone is going to be able to come up with a magical answer for you to let you eat all you want to and still see results. However, you did mention your 300 calories beers. Perhaps you should try cutting those out and see how it goes.

LeighHop Said

"Try some changes and see what happens. I don't think anyone is going to be able to come up with a magical answer for you to let you eat all you want to and still see results. However, you did mention your 300 calories beers. Perhaps you should try cutting those out and see how it goes."

I stopped drinking those 300 calorie beers two years ago. Doing so enabled me to drop ten pounds with no other changes. Incidentally I don't expect to be able to eat everything I want and lose weight. Again, I just think 1630 calories is too little for somebody who exercises regularly and works a physical job

Envy is easy, but it is a distraction. If you focus on why you believe someone else is luckier than you, you're too busy looking at them to look at yourself (in fact that's often our purpose in envying - to avoid looking at ourselves).

I have to admit your comment did offend me. It would be like me envying a homeless man because he couldn't afford to eat, or a starving anorexic woman because she didn't want to. Everyone has their struggles, and we really can't understand them completely, because we rarely if ever can spend a day in their shoes.

There are no magic numbers in weight loss. 1630 calories may or may not be too few calories for you. No chart can tell you how efficient YOUR body is. Your metabolism is unique and the only way to outsmart it is to experiment (based on you, not on anyone else). Count your calories (or points, if you're on WW) and SEE what you need to maintain/lose. If you aren't losing, cut back. If you want to lose 1 lbs a week, you have to cut back by 500 calories per day. If you try this and it seems like too little food, you can cut back by fewer calories, but you will lose more slowly. But rather than acting in accordance to what "seems" like too little - act according to what you discover by experimenting. Cut back by those 500 calories, if you feel weak or irritable, then try cutting back by only 250 calories. If you look at the scale and aren't satisfied with the weight loss, then you try to cut back a little more. But there really are only two options, eat less or exercise more, and usually it takes both (even when you're lucky enough to have as much to lose as I do).

(By the way, that was meant to be funny, not mean)

If you really believe that your body needs 1800 calories, than eat 1800 calories for a few weeks and see how things go. If you're not losing any weight after a month or so, then consider lowering it 100-200 calories.

Marlu, I assume you've had a thorough physical exam recently? Sometimes undiagnosed health problems can lower one's metabolism. Just a thought.

Okay, apparently some people have taken it personally when I said I believe I would have an easier time losing weight if I were heavier. I never said I envied people who weigh more than I do and I never intended to imply that their struggles aren't difficult.

I am talking only about myself here.
If I were heavier I could lose weight on a comfortable amount of calories and I would have some wiggle room to drop the calories lower as my weight decreased. I would probably lose two or more pounds a week, which would be incentive to keep going.

Eventually I know I would reach the point I'm at now, but by then my new eating habits would be firmly established and it wouldn't be hard to cut the calories just a little more.

Now however, and again I'm talking only about myself here, I have to immediately drop the calories to what I perceive to be an uncomfortable hungry level and if I am lucky I might lose half a pound to one pound a week.

Marlu -

I'm not saying this with any ill will, but it sounds like maybe you need to ask yourself if you're really ready to lose the weight right now. I have up and down periods. Sometimes things just click and I'm ready to make the sacrifices. Sometimes (too often) I'm really not ready to give up all I need to and so I get stuck in a "this isn't fair" mentality.

I wish I knew for me, and for everyone else who would listen, what makes that "click" happen when it does. But I just don't. And so during those times I find myself seeking inspiration and sometimes I find just the right bit, usually on this site.

You know, I read someone else on here say that when they need to drop a few pounds, they actually exercise a little less to curb their hunger. I know you can't cut down on your work activity, but maybe you could cut back a little on the extra-cirricular stuff to help stave off hunger. It sounds like you're getting plenty of activity to be healthy with work alone.

You don't have to do anything. You can choose to do whatever you want, including continuing to do what you're doing now!

People have suggested gradually adjusting your calorie level, to see what will work best for you. A loss of 1/2 a pound to one pound a week is very a healthy rate, in case you're not aware of that. You could choose to look at this process with a long-term view to maintenance and what you're willing to do to maintain after you lose, as well. It might give you some perspective.

And word--don't take those online calorie burn calculators too seriously.
For example, I've observed that some men who weigh, oh say 200#, and work much more demanding jobs than you do not have to eat at the rate indicated by the calculators to maintain. Someone laying sod, or framing houses, or pulling green chain 7-8 hrs./day does not necessarily need to replace an expenditure of 450 cal. per hour, which is probably pretty close to what the calculators would indicate!